Adjustable-contact thermometer.



T. HESPE.

ADJUSTABLE CONTACT THERMOMETER.

APPLICATION FILED SUI-2.1914.

Patented Dec. 12, 1916.

INVENTOR 7 BY 2 7 MW ATTORNEY a 29.1mm. )fg,

ALFRED THEODORE HESPE, OF WEEHAWKELL NEW JERSEY.

ADJUSTABLE-CONTACT THERMOMETER.

Specification 01 Letters Patent. Patentgd Dec 12, 1916 Application filed September 2, 1914. SerialNo. 859,836.

To all whom it may concern: 4

- Be it known that I, ALFRED Tnnononn Hnsrn, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of .the city of Weehawken, county of Hudson, and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Adj ustable-Contact Thermometers, of which the following is a specification. The object of my invention is to provide a thermometer so arranged and constructed that a part thereof may be adjustedoven the entire scale and in such a manner that when the mercury advances to a predetermined point an electrical circuit will be es tablished or broken. In the past thermometers have been constructed to accomplish this useful purpose but such thermometers have been difiicult of construction and have been inefiicient in that the point of contact cannot be changed at the will of the operator. Such devices are usually constructed by inserting .into the mercury tube or'reservoir a single'wire, and at other-predetermined points upon the [staff or uprlght tube of the thermometer one or more additional wires were molded into the glass. It will be readily seen that thermometers soconstructed are not capable of adjustment and cannot indicate the movement of the mercury at any point other than those wherein a wire proects into the tube.

In my device I have arranged so that the I point of contact maybe adjusted evento a $5 mercury reservoir, and at 5 and 6 bell andfraction of a degree and may be changed en- 35 tirely at the will of the operator.

method of operation will e fully set forth as the specification progresses.

The following is what I consider the bestmeans of carrying out my-invention, and the accompanying drawing forms part of this specification, in which:.- .q v Figure 1 shows a front elevation of any thermometer. Fig. 2 shows ."a .parton a larger scale and is'partly in section. Fig.-

1 3 shows in section and elevation a modified form. Q' I Similar reference numerals indicate like parts in all the figures where they appear.

At 1 I have shown the board or mount of a thermometer and u on it will befound the staff of the thermometer. At 4"thebu1b or battery. All these parts'with. possibly the Y The constructionof m device and its exception of the tube orstaif 3 are of ordinary construction, and thereforerequire no lengthy description as to their functions as they are well understood.

Adjacent to the upper end of the tube or stafi 3 I provide a bulb or reservoir 7 by slightly increasing either the interior or exterior diameter of the tube 3. This reservoir 7 is integral with the tube 3, and'must connect with the interior passage ofthe'tube 3. Into this reservoir I place a solution of creosote, and as the upper end of the reservoir 7 is opened the creosote will exclude air and moisture from the passage -:through the tube 3.

Into the mercury in the bulb 4 I insert a wire, preferably a copper wire tipped with platinum, the platinum tip being molded into the glass andprojecting into the mercury in the reservoir. This wire may be attached to a suitable binding post' 8, and a Screw threaded or otherwise connected with the thimble 10 is a metallic box 11 consecond wire from the binding post 9 will be taining a spool 12, upon which a length of wire, preferably platinum wire 18, is wound. One end of the Wire is secured to the spool, and the other end is inserted through the thimble 10 and reservoir 7 ,and through the creosote solution into the tube 3. The key 14, is provided for winding the wire around The bell 5 andthebattery fi are connected I with the binding posts 8' and. 9 in a well I 1" wires. 17 and'18, and now when the wire 13 known manner. by means of..any ordinary is inserted, to a .predetermined point within the tube 3, and the mercury advancesto that. .point, a completeelectrical circuit throughithe thermometer and through the battery and bellwill be established and a signal given, and it will bereadily understood that ordinary scale 2 su divided in-gany well known manner. At .3. Ishow the tube or.

the adjustment of the 'wire'13-inthe tube3 may be accomplished by merely turning the keyl, eitherto advance the wire into the bearing will contact with the wire 13, and

- passes into the mercury tube 3-,-.and its outer end is secured to a cap 21.; Theinner end of the wire 20 projects to a-- considerable disto berollediwithinsaid casing and means 20. {between said roll and said mercury for electhat when the cap 21 is moved over the scale" or over the tube 3 thelower end of the wire 20 may be readily observed and will not be I limited in its operation by the-cap QL A' 425' soft packing ring 22 is arranged at the-lower;v

. end of the'cap 2l, and bears upon the'outer- [surface of'the-tube 3. The cap 21 -is held'in, 1 6 fair bearing upon thetube .3 by. the exterior [of the chamber-l7? and thdinteriorfof the] .may guide the movement tact between the parts.

of the cap '21.".

trical contact between the thimble 10 and the wire 13. I have therefore made the box 11 of metal and the spool 12 is also of metal. Upon leaving the spool the-Wire passes over the roller 15 and the roller 16 which is free to operate in the slots 16 in which it finds with suiiicient force to insure electrical con- I have found that it is possible to construct my device in a somewhat different manner and this construction is shown in the modification Fig. .3. Here the tube 3 is provided with an enlarged portion; which I 15.

produces the chamber 7 into which. a creo-f sote solution is placed. The rod or wire 20 tance; below the lower. end of the cap 21"so packing ring 22,5."

- fications may 'be made 'wi'thinrthe. scope' of of this invention; V I have found" that my" thermometerlmayl a.

.11 the appendedclaims without departing from-ff 351' the principle .orv sacrificing; thefadvantagef i. be used in a'great numberiof ways-and'ah stop} machinery,-'open or "close valves, or

though I have shown it operated with a battery and alarm, I desire it understood that it}. 1 may, when connected with suitable relays,or1.

other electrical device begusedtostart or. I

in said caslng. 3: An: djustable mercury tube and chamber formed integral, mercurywithin said tube'and.said'.chamber,

either. 1 j I v150T Having carefully and fully described my Y invention, what I claimand desireto secure by Letters Patent is: I 1 1. A thermometer having amercury tube, mercury therein, a flexible metallic member entering said tube, a rotatable spool. upon I which said flexible member is ada ted to be" wound to adjust said flexible mem er'within said tube and an electric circuit adapted-to be closed through. said mercury and said flexible member. 2. A thermometer having a mercury tube',-*-- mercury therein, a casing supported by said" tube, and electric circuit one side of which is connected to said casing and the other end of which enters the said mercury, a metalliemember entering'said mercury and adapted.-

member is not suflicient to fuse'orvaporize trically'engaging saidmetallicme nbe v'vith;

thermeme tier 'hav1nga second chamber-formed in'said' tubefai'zt non-corrosive, non-conductive liquid'therein;

a metallic thimble and. casing'supported'by lsaidtube, and a-flexible metallic member I operative through said casing, said thimble "It will be understoodthat further :modi-i and said secondchamber, and into said mer- 80.

'-.-'cury. tube, a'jrotatable spool said casing upon-which said flexible member is adapted to be wound,,and a pluralityof'rollers, one (J'Of which isadjustablyjsupported by said casing. and adapted to receive. said flexible member between them to guide said flexible member and continue an electrical contact between said casingand said flexible member;

. Signed atNew York city, N. Y.', this 13th day of .August l9l4r- A. these two witnesses.

I Witnesses G. E. Srnmzrrra H ARrHnn Pnnnrs MARE.

D. in the presence ct -9 0 l ALFREDTHEODQRE 'HESP -Q 

